Best Trips 2012: North Colombia

Tayrona National Park

Photograph by Jane Sweeney, Corbis

Pristine Caribbean beaches make Tayrona National Park a standout in northern Colombia. The park is one of several natural and cultural attractions in the area that include the 16th-century city of Santa Marta and Ciudad Perdida, an archaeological site to rival Machu Picchu.

Bungalows

Photograph by Carlos Villalon, Redux

Eco-friendly bungalows along the pristine beaches of nearby Tayrona National Park offer a tranquil base from which to begin the vigorous three-day uphill hike past traditional villages of the Kogui people.

Coffee Warehouse

Photograph by Fabio Cuttica, Contrasto/Redux

An Arhuaco man works in a coffee warehouse in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Arhuaco, believed to be descended from the Tayrona people, produce coffee in the north Colombian mountains.

Santa Marta

Photograph by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux

Travelers to Ciudad Perdida launch from seaside Santa Marta, founded in 1525. The Caribbean rhythms of salsa burst from the town’s clubs; plantains and chicken sizzle at streetside stalls.

Hikers

Photograph by Dennis Drenner, Getty Images

A group of hikers climbs a stone staircase to reach Ciudad Perdida.

Ciudad Perdida

Photograph by Fausto Giaccone, Anzenberger/Redux

Just over 35 years ago, Ciudad Perdida, the “lost city,” was—like much of Colombia—undiscovered and off-limits for travel. This spectacular archaeological site in northern Colombia had disappeared into inaccessible wilderness populated by violent militia and drug traffickers. Now the cleared mountaintop terraces (above) shine like a green grassy beacon declaring the country’s rebirth as a travel destination at the crossroads of the Caribbean and South America.